


No place I'd rather be

by SuYeon



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Alma Toran, Childhood Memories, Family, Friendship, Gen, non-canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-16
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-10-06 07:47:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10329611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuYeon/pseuds/SuYeon
Summary: Before Ithnan finally returns to Solomon, he remembers his childhood with Setta. (English translation)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [No place I'd rather be](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9609104) by [SuYeon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuYeon/pseuds/SuYeon). 



He had lost.  
He was no more.  
He was just the last bit of a curse that hadn't had a single chance from the very beginning.  
The cursed person was so obnoxiously pure, although he had been able to dye the white pureness into something black and impure at least a little bit.  
But now everything was lost.

A small white light flew past him to a childish figure.  
The forth Magi was here.  
He breathed out.  
They changed a few words with each other.

So naive.  
So innocent.  
So curious.  
So disgusting!

All he had done since then, he had done to bring down the arrogant king, like he and his friends promised back then.  
All he had done since then, he had done to bring the king, his friend, back to the right path so that he didn't turn into a person he never wanted to be.  
All he had done since then, he had done to save the free will and the dignity of his brother.  
All for his brother.

He wasn't dumb.  
He only was blinded.  
Blinded by his wish to rescue his brother, to see him again.  
Blinded by his wish to see his brother smile again.

It was only a simple smile, nothing special, but to him it meant the whole world.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not good at translating and it is really hard to do. Still, I hope you can enjoy it. I tried my very best.

Almost scared he ate his soup.  
He already had finished half of it and he would finish the other half soon.  
Normally the food here hadn't had a specific taste, but sometimes the chef was able to cook a meal that tasked so bad that no one would even consider to give it to their worst enemy.  
Why he still eat it?  
Because there was nothing else besides this food.

They, the children of the church, should be happy that there even got something to eat.   
Not because of some disgusting punishment or something like that. It was just, that there weren't enough to eat – at least not form them.  
Most of the children were orphans and never met their parents normally.  
He was like that.  
Well, here at the church they had everything, save from the weather, save from the brutal and disgusting other creatures. And a doctor took care of them, when they got sick. They had everything they needed.  
Only love and caring were missing, but one couldn't have everything one wanted. 

Beside the orphans there were the other children, that at least still had one parent, mostly the mother, because the fathers died in the fight against the disgusting other creatures, that didn't follow gods will.   
A few children at the church still had both parents and lived here to become an avatar of the „Divine Staff“.  
Although it was not possible to became an avatar of the „Divine Staff“ without the approval of god!

Suddenly the door to the dining hall was opened. It was opened with such a force that he was afraid that the door would fall out of the doorframe.  
Fortunately it didn't.  
The boy turned around, his back had faced the door, and saw another boy who entered the dining hall. A small group followed that boy – one girl, two boys.  
He hated those four.  
All of them were orphans like him, a few years older than him and relatively good magicians. The group leader called a „Divine Staff“ his own, that stood for his abilities, theoretically.  
Unfortunately the personalities of those four were far away form good and nice.   
The most annoying and noticeable ability of all group members were their arrogant manner against their siblings – in the church they called each other siblings.  
The behavior haven't had started with the „Divine Staff“, even before the leader got it they were acting like everything was their property.  
Even though there were so many other children before them that had received the protection of god and so many other children before them had died during their holy mission to protect humanity from the other creatures.   
The small group was nothing special, even if they thought so.  
But it seemed like they had the allowance of the priests to act like they wanted to.

He turned around again so he could eat.  
Lunch time was almost over.  
He was weak and weaklings would never get a „Divine Staff“. But he wanted to be useful, he also wanted to protect humanity and bring peace into this world like all of them. To reach his goal he took extra training. That means he took every lesson twice – both theoretical lessons and practical lessons.  
And it worked.  
Well, that was just his own opinion, but who cares.

Shortly after he finished his meal it became very loud in the hall. Not the normal volume of a hall full with hundreds of people, it was more the noise that two or more people, who were arguing, created.   
Not unusual, they were children. Sometimes they also had some fights between each other.  
His plan was to ignore his surroundings and have a nice day, but life was anything but nice, so he wasn't able to fulfill his plan. Life could sucks sometimes!  
Some girls were whispering to each other and he was fortune enough to hear it. It wasn’t his plan, but he also couldn’t change it. Why did those girls talk so loud?   
Well, now he knew who were arguing right now. He knew both of them.

Silently he put his tablet down on to the shelf. From there it would go into the kitchen later.  
He himself did go to the circle of people that surrounded the two fighting parties.   
At first he didn’t understand what was going on, why the two boys were fighting, but without realizing it he got closer to the middle and so he was able to hear and see what the problem was.  
The dessert!  
The problem was the dessert!  
For an outsider the given reason was laughable, but if one knew that a dessert was something special, a reward for one’s hard work, well then it didn’t sound that stupid anymore.  
If one got a reward or not, depended on the teacher and the student. A good student had to do more than a bad student, simply because it was easier to surprise your teacher with something good when you were bad, usually.  
The dessert was a good motivation for everyone to always try their best. A dessert was better for motivation than the thought of God’s blessing. Most of the children were still too young to understand what honor it was to serve Ill Ilah. He himself only received this reward four, maybe even sic times. A weakling like him was unimportant and therefore not worth attention or praise. They were not needed.  
Be that as it may, in this “dessert” issue the leader of the newly entered group wanted the reward of another child who, of course, was not ready to give it to him.   
Why should the child?  
Who would give away something one had worked hard for?  
Exactly, no one!

Now he actually could take his leave, since he knew who this would end. It was not the first time that something like this happened, but for some it was still interesting to watch. This time the dispute was not limited to two, but one against a group of four. And until now, at least with the persons involved, the boy had one against the group, although bruised a lot. However, this time it seemed like something was different. There was something that did not fit in.  
But what?  
Was it the fact that the dispute started so early?  
Was it the fact that the group member appeared so calm? Like they were waiting for something to happen. Maybe a mistake made by the other one?   
Or was it the fact that the arguments of the leader, why he deserved the dessert, were more ridiculous than usual?  
Somehow things were like usual and at the same time there were not. They tried to lure the other one into a trap, but what kind of trap? Maybe a priest? Did they intend to blame the other for the dispute and have a priest punish the boy? It would make sense, in case the leader – he did would call the leader by his name, but he was of the opinion that said name was unpronounceable, so he did not even try to – also had received a reward. Everything else was too risky. One only had to ask the teacher of the kids whether they got a reward or not and if they did not, their lie would be exposed.

As if on command the door to the dining hall was opened by a priest. Somebody must have informed him, because it didn’t look like a causal visit. For that the countenance of the man was too grim.   
So it had been a trap indeed.  
Somewhat sad.  
Seemed like the dispute would take a different rout this time.   
The children stepped away, as the priest made his way into the middle of the circle. He himself also stepped out of the man’s way. No one dared to speak up against a priest or even be in their way. None of them had to right to do so.   
Pity started to raise inside him. It was so unfair! One did his best and was rewarded, only to get it taken away by some pathetic asshole.  
All involved into the dispute had turned silent. Now the priest had the floor. Of course, the man first wanted to know what was going on and as expected the small group tried to tell him what he wanted to know before the other one could do so. They lies shouldn’t be discovered! And of course, the priest believed them. He guessed that the priest was partial in this, since the man took the ridiculous arguments for real too fast. 

What happened next was something he could not explain or understand himself.  
It happened so fast.  
It somewhat was so surreal.  
It did go so different than expected.  
And now he was sitting here. Where was here? Here was the waiting room of the high priest.  
Why he was here? Apparently he had interfered with the dispute, despite having nothing to do with the issue at all.   
Why hadn’t he stayed silent?  
Why did he felt like he needed to interfere?  
It had be clear that it would be useless. The whole thing had been a biased trial and he had known.

“Thank you.”  
“Huh?”  
He wasn’t only weak, no, he was also stupid and his vocabulary had gone on vacation as well.   
“Thank you.”  
“For what?”  
“For trying to help me.”  
But it had been useless, besides causing him to get punished as well.  
“Nothing to thank me for.”  
It had been an impulsively decision anyway.  
“On the contrary! You could have stayed out of it. I mean, now you will get a punishment because of me, too.”  
“Um, less because of you, more because of those idiots that framed you.”  
“Don’t worry, they will get their punishment as well!”  
The other boy looked at him totally confident in his own words.  
“Surely!”  
More probably not. If they took revenge, they would just land in trouble again, but then it would be justifiably. Something like this was nothing he could let happen. He was weak and stupid. Someone like him should follow stay silent and follow the orders.  
“Of course! But do not worry, I will do it on my own.”  
Silence. He only look at the other one in silence. Didn’t know what to say. Finally, he look away on the ground. He should have said nothing back then, because then he would sit here now, but could study.

At the moment the priest wanted to take the supposedly culprit to the high priest of the church, he jumped in. Due to the obvious high difference he had to look up to the adult. The stern look of the other scared him a bit, but it did not backed away. He was weak, but this didn’t mean that he wouldn’t do his best! Those who wanted to be strong had to have endurance and he was in possession of such. This endurance would he now use to not avoid the gaze of the priest or to step out of the man’s way. Injustice was commit in front of him and he would not let it pass without trying to stop it! What would their “father” think about that? He wouldn’t be pleased surely!  
“I beg my pardon, but I have to interfere here.”  
He tried to sound as mature as possible. The priest wouldn’t listen to him any other way, at least that was what he thought and since he liked to read books and overheard the conversations of the elders, he had copied one or two things. How good he really was, was nothing he could actually judge, but it was irrelevant right now anyway.  
Since he did not receive an answer from the priest he added: “The boy there really hadn’t done anything wrong. The four behind you only entered the dining hall a short while ago and shortly after they did the dispute began. At the moment the group had entered the boy had already been on his place and were eating. Consequently, he would have taken anything away from the others.”  
An uncomfortable silence raised. No one dared to say anything or even move.  
“And what makes you so sure about it? Have you seen what happened?”  
No, he had not. Moreover, he had no evidences to prove his accusations, but there were also no reasons for the other boy to break the rules. And there had been no time for that.  
“I have not, but I am sure that there were enough children nearby to see what happened.”  
Of course, the dining hall was full with children! Someone, who had been nearby, must have seen what had occurred. To his surprise the priest took his words into consideration, at least the part in which he admitted that he hadn’t seen anything, but maybe other children. Therefore, the priest turned to the children and asked them, whether they knew what happened. Unfortunately, no one answered. No one had the courage to say anything. They were too afraid to be punished. So, the priest turned back to him and wanted to know, how he now thought to prove his assertions. Yeah, how should he now prove his point? It was not possible. He simple couldn’t do it. Even if he had seen something, the group had would have labeled him a liar. On the other hand, he was view as such anyway.   
Liars should be punished!  
“Well, it seems like no one saw what “really” happened besides the victim and his friends.”  
What should he answer to that?  
“But why do you believe them? Only because they are more? Wouldn’t it be better to go to the high priest with all of them and elucidate the incident there?”  
That would do any good anyway.  
“I think, it is better, when I bring you and your friend to the high priest and you explain to him, why you behave so wicked.”  
“Pardon? What have I done?”  
“Well, you accuse others of being liars without any evidences. So, who knows, maybe you were part of the theft.”  
This was so ridiculous that words failed him. But what had he expected? It had been clear from the very beginning that the priest was biased. Who should one convince someone like that of the contrary, especially without any proof?

Without another word or listening to the children’s words of protest the priest grabbed the second “culprit” and took both children to the bureau of the high priest.  
And this was where they were sitting now at least in front of it and staring into space. There was nothing to do. Grey walls, grey floor, uncomfortable, colorless chairs. The surrounding was bleak and was did not help to light up his thoughts. Quite the opposite was the case!  
He had to sigh. 

But before he could sink deeper into his thoughts, he was jogged awake rudely. Slightly confused he looked up.  
“What?”  
“Not ‘what’. I’ve asked you a question.”  
“You did?”  
“Yes, I did.”  
Well, he hadn’t realized it. The other one probably was still awaiting an answer, but how should he answer, when he hadn’t listen?  
“Could you maybe repeat your question?”  
Now it was the other one who sighed.  
“I wanted to know you name.”  
“I am Setta.”  
A big smile formed itself on the face of the other boy, after he heard his answer.  
“Nice to meet you, Setta. I am Ithnan.”  
Setta knew that. Ithnan was someone who often had attracted attention by having fights with older children and even the priests. On the other hand, he was a talented magician.   
“I know. Most children know who you are”, he said, while also smiled at Ithnan and offered him his hand for a shake.  
“Well, it is not a surprise that someone as talented as I am is widely known.”  
That was also a way to look at it.  
“By the way, you have a beautiful smile.”  
And that was a one kind of a statement. Setta had heard the compliment of having a beautiful smile before, but it had been elderly ladies that had made them.   
“Thank you.”  
This was all he had to say.   
Maybe he should give the compliment back. Ithnan’s smile was beautiful as well, at least he thought it was. It seemed so naïve, a little stupid and honest. It was rare to find someone with such a smile inside the church. Most children were closed up and stern. Maybe it was due to the fast realization that their life wouldn’t last for long. Everyone who obtained a “Divine Staff”, would one day oppress the other creatures and thereby risk their life. Only the younger children were still happy and free of any worries. He had been like that until a few months ago as well, until it made “click” and he understood what it meant to be chosen by god. Nonetheless he wanted a “Divine Staff”. He wanted to make this world a better place for humans. For that he had to become stronger!

A young priest stepped out of the bureau of the high priest, before Ithnan and Setta could continue their conversation, told them to enter. Now their punishment would be decided. A punishment for something they never had done.  
Despite their small changes, they hoped that they would be able to convince the old man, who was waiting in the other room, of their innocence.


End file.
